Hendrick backs Wassall to deliver at Derby

Derby County midfielder Jeff Hendrick has told the club's official website that new head coach Darren Wassall has the backing of the first-team squad at the iPro Stadium.

Earlier this month, the Rams board made the decision to part ways with Paul Clement, who had lost just seven of his 33 games in charge and left the club in fifth position in the Championship.

His departure resulted in widespread criticism of owner Mel Morris, and Derby's 1-0 defeat at home to MK Dons last weekend did not make matters easier for people behind the scenes at the East Midlands outfit.

However, ahead of the trip to Brentford on Saturday afternoon, Hendrick has spoken on the appointment of Wassall, who will remain in the dugout until the end of the season.

The 24-year-old said: "You only have to look at all the teams around every league and managers have come and gone frequently.

“It happens, but as players we have to keep doing what we are supposed to do in training, work hard and just improve the performances across the team because that’s normally why a manager or a head coach ends up leaving. Performances haven’t been good, we know that.

"I have worked with Darren for a while now and he has done a lot of good things with the club. He got a little chance a couple of years ago when he took over for one game, but now he has got a longer opportunity and myself and the rest of the players are getting behind him and trying to make sure our performances are right.”

Before being placed in charge of the senior set up, Wassall spent six years with the academy squad.

He also spent five years during his playing days with the Rams, making 98 league appearances.

Darren Plant

A sports journalist based in Cannock, Darren has spent the past three-and-a-half years working for Sports Mole. He counts football, boxing, darts and tennis as his biggest sporting passions, and rightly or wrongly, he considers hitting a 140 in front of Eric Bristow as one of his greatest achievements in life. Darren is a Chelsea supporter, who also follows National League North club Hednesford Town.